Sweet robotic joy—you just unwrapped an Android phone and, man, is it shiny. Here are our suggestions for apps to grab, settings to tweak, and really nifty things you can do with your Google-powered mini-supercomputer.

A lucky few will have Lollipop, but chances are you're running KitKat or Jelly Bean. If you're coming from an old Android phone, we have a guide specifically for you that will show you how to move all of your apps, settings, and data from your old phone to your new one. Still, there's nothing wrong with a fresh start with a brand new phone, so let's start from the beginning. Your awesome new Android phone is capable of a lot. Here's just a taste of what it can do:

Congratulations: you just got a brand new Android phone! If you're lucky, you got a great deal …
Read more Read more

Get the Latest and Greatest Google Stuff

Before you start playing around and getting used to how things work, why don't you do two quick things: Set up a Wi-Fi connection, then update your phone's built-in applications. There are likely newer versions available than the ones you have on your just-opened phone, so they're worth picking up. If there's an Android OS update waiting for your device, you can check that out in Settings.

You were probably prompted to add a Wi-Fi network when you first set up your phone. If not, open the app drawer (press the grid-like, bottom-middle on-screen button to get there if it's not on one of your home screens—it's where shortcuts to all of your installed applications live), then look for Settings. Then tap Wi-Fi. On the next screen, enable Wi-Fi and wait for the list of nearby networks to update. Pick out your home router name (or your relatives'), enter a password if necessary, and have some fun.

To update your apps, open the Play Store app from either your home screen or the app drawer. Swipe from the left side of your display toward the middle to open the Play Store's navigation panel (many other apps use a similar gesture, so try it everywhere). In the menu that appears, tap "My Apps." Any apps you have updates for will appear at the top of the list. Tap "Update All" to update them all at once. Some apps require permission updates. In that case, a pop-up will appear asking you to confirm the new permissions. You can also find apps you installed on older devices in the All section.

Google Maps: Google Maps shines on Android. Seriously - it's the best turn-by-turn navigation app on the platform, and in addition to offering you free maps and navigation, Google Maps can help you with walking directions, public transit to your destination, and it even offers maps and walking directions of indoor places like airports and museums so you can find your way around. Integration with Google+ Places is tight, so you can easily look up information about places you want to visit right from within the app. Then you can call them, get directions, look up business hours, and more.

Gmail (or Inbox): Gmail has been a leader in how to handle email for a long time. This year, not only did the stock Gmail app get support for all email providers, but Google launched a new app called Inbox that changes how you approach email. The latter needs an invite, though there are workarounds. One way or another, these apps are worth a look.

Google Chrome: Google Chrome really shines on Android, and many manufacturers have given up putting stock web browsers on their phone and go with Chrome instead. It isn't technically our favorite Android browser, but it's definitely one of the best Android browsers available. If you use Chrome on the desktop, Chrome Sync is built-in, so open tabs, bookmarks, passwords, and history are all available everywhere, and most importantly, it's blazing fast, especially on newer hardware.

Google Play Music: When Play Music arrived, we were already pretty smitten. The e service allows you to upload your own songs (it also supports scan-and-match) or listen to a library of music with a subscription. This year, Google added YouTube Music Key to the mix, which gives you ad-free music videos, and offline or background listening on mobile.

Use Google Keep to Take Notes: Google Keep is probably one of Google's most underrated apps. It's the note-taking application that Android should have had a long time ago, and the fact that it's backed up by Google Drive's storage makes it a great option for anyone who switches between their desktop and their Android device often. You can snip links, make personal notes, record audio notes to yourself, make to-do or quick checklists, get reminders to act on your notes, and more.

Set up Google Voice(mail): Google Voice is a must-have if you're looking for a better voicemail service than your carrier offers, or you want any of the other great features (call monitoring, switching, previewing, filtering, and spam reporting) it offers. If you're intrigued by Google Voice, Android is where it really shines. You can port your number to Google Voice so no one calling you knows the difference. If you don't want to, you can use Google Voice as your voicemail provider and send texts through the web. Activate the Voice app on your phone, and it will take care of your phone's configuration. From then on, your voicemail will go to Google, where it'll be transcribed, archived, and managed like email on your phone. You can even read or listen to your voicemail on the web, mark telemarketers as spam, and set up multiple greetings for different people.

Most Popular Android Downloads and Posts of 2014: Apart from our list of essential apps, we also covered some great how-tos, other downloads, and walkthroughs this year. If you're interested in making the most of the widgets on your phone, getting the best possible battery life, using voice commands to their fullest, or what else you can download to make the most of your Android, check out our list.

The 50 Free Apps We're Most Thankful For: Every Thanksgiving, we ask you about your favorite free apps, and post the 50 free apps we're most thankful for. They're not all Android downloads (though many are cross-platform), but it's a good list to check out. If you've still got a few holes after checking out the Pack and most popular, you're sure to find what you're looking for here.

Start Syncing Your Music, Videos, and Pictures

Back in the day, if you wanted music and media on your Android phone, you'd have to grab a USB cable and start transferring files. You can still do that if you prefer, and there are tons of great media player options for Android, but with streaming music options being what they are and cloud storage being cheap, you may choose to free yourself from the cables and do it all over the air. Whichever you choose, here are some helpful posts to get you started.

Troubleshoot the Tricky Stuff

Your Android phone is a great device, and Android as a mobile OS is much more mature and polished now than it used to be. Still, there are times where you need to troubleshoot problems and fix issues you'll run up against. Here are some tips. Photo by Sylvain Naudin.

How Can I Avoid Using Too Much Smartphone Data?: Whether you're lucky enough to still have an unlimited plan from your carrier, or you're like the rest of us and have a data cap—or worse, share bandwidth with other phones on the same plan—here's a helpful guide to keep data usage on all of the devices you pay for under control.

How to Set Up a Fully Automated App and Settings Backup on Android: Once you get your Android device all set up and to your liking, don't let tragedy happen to you. Make sure you make sure your phone is regularly backed up so you don't have to worry about your data. Your Android phone is a mini-computer that has a lot of precious information on it, and keeping it safe is easy and takes only a few minutes to set up.

How Do I Fix My Bricked Android Phone?: One of the first things many of you may do with a brand new Android phone is root it and possibly install a new ROM. If that process doesn't go very well and you wind up with a brand new hunk of plastic and metal on your desk that's completely unresponsive, all may not be lost! There are plenty of ways to approach a so-called "bricked" phone that may bring it back to life.

Expand Your Phone's Capabilities

Beyond apps and tweaks, you can make your phone do some really neat things. Things like tell you where it is if it's lost or stolen. Things like play any song or video you happen to have on a nearby TV. Things like send a text back to your wife to let her know you're driving, not just callously ignoring her calls.

Everything You Need to Know About Rooting Your Android Phone: Our Android rooting guide is a general, all-applicable guide to rooting, how it's done, and what you might want to do it for. One of the best things you can do to extend the functionality of your Android device is root it, and we're happy to show you how.

Top 10 Reasons to Root Your Android Phone: Even with all the talk about how easy it is to root your phone, you may wonder why you should even bother. Well, here's a great list of reasons why—the least of which is that it gives you complete control over your experience, but also because there are tons of tweaks and apps that can speed up your phone, help you get better battery life, block ads, and remove carrier-installed crapware that are only available to rooted users.

The Best Application Launcher for Android: One way to extend the features of your phone just by installing an app is to grab a new app launcher. It'll completely change the way you interact with your phone, and in many cases it's free, can actually add features you didn't have in the first place, and offer you more customization options. Here's our favorite, and if you don't care for it, tons of other great options to choose from.

How Secure Is Android, Really?: One of the first things you hear when you spend time in the Android-verse is that Android is somehow susceptible to malware, and that the threat is everywhere. That's not quite the case, and we're happy to break down where the weak link in Android security really is—spoiler alert: It's the user.

How to Choose the Right Android ROM for You: Ready to take the next step after rooting? If you really want to completely customize and tweak your Android experience, or just relieve yourself of carrier crapware and try out a new version or flavor of Android, installing a new ROM is the way to go. Think of it like installing a new OS on your computer—meaning you should be careful to back up your data and do your homework beforehand. Need some suggestions? Check out these five great Android ROMS.

How to Get Better Battery Life and Performance on Your Android Phone with a New Kernel: What's that? Rooting and installing a new ROM isn't enough for you? Well then, you might want to consider installing a whole new kernel for the ultimate performance boost. It's not for the weak of heart, but the benefits definitely outweigh the drawbacks. Just back up and make sure you know what you're doing before you start. Our guide will walk you through it.

How to Turn Your Android or iPhone into a Portable Retro Game Arcade: Maybe you prefer retro, old school games, back when skill mattered more than graphics and pixels reigned supreme? Well, with a little work and a couple of apps, you can turn your Android device into a retro game arcade, capable of playing some of your favorite classic titles anywhere you go. Here's how to get started.

How Widgets Can Actually Make Your Phone More Productive: If you've been wary of Android widgets because you've heard they do bad things to battery life, worry no longer. Some of them can actually make your phone much more fun—and useful—to use on a daily basis. Once you start adding them to your home screens, you'll wonder how you got along without them.

Turn Your Android Phone into a Personal Trainer: Work off those pounds you put on thanks to the Thanksgiving turkey and the Christmas ham with your shiny new Android phone. There are plenty of apps to help you get the most out of your workouts at home, at the gym, or outside, keep track of your progress, and meet your health and weight loss goals. Here's how to turn that new phone into a pocket gym you can take with you anywhere.

How to Find the Right Android Keyboard For You: Before you go too far with your Android phone, you may want to do something about the stock Android keyboard. There's nothing wrong with it, specifically, but there are some much better options out there that can make using your device easier and more fun.